Why can't you take pro wrestling lessons as a kid?

[James McCloud IS John Godot]

You can learn to dance as a kid.
You can perform gymnastics as a kid.
You can box as a kid.
You can train, run and and increase stamina as a kid.
You can learn to act as a kid.
You can play American football as a kid.
You can learn martial arts as a kid.
You can amateur wrestle as a kid.

But don't you THINK of learning how to do an Irish whip before you've got your college degree in communications!

So, why not? Hey, I'm not talking about taking shots with a steel chair or blading lessons. But if you wanted to learn how to do a tie-up or do a clothesline or run some ropes, why not?

I can learn to legitimately kick your ass with martial arts when I'm 8 but I can't learn how to pretend to do it until I'm 18? What?

Let's face it, kids who like pro wrestling will play at pro wrestling at least once anyway, so why not? Kids get to play wrestler, supervised and learning how not to hurt each other. If they enjoy it, hey, maybe they'll become a pro wrestler someday. If someone shows promise in their mid-to-late teens, hey, maybe you've found the next big thing.

Make it safe, make it fun. It'd reduce whining over kids copying the latest SmackDown game if anything.

[jamielowndes {N}]

At a guess, it's because Chris Benoit wasnt a dancer, martial artist or a football player.

Looking at the bigger picture though, it's quite a weird thing. You see a lot of wrestling schools but none for kids. And when you think that amateur MMA is expanding to kids, you would think that pro wrestling promotions would be thinking the same thing to start breeding their new stars.

[jobber2thestars]

While doing research on wrestling schools, I found a place that does summer wrestling training for kids.

[MrBRulzOK]

I suspect that having kids learn to take bumps would not end well for anyone who took one wrong: a lawsuit waiting to happen in other words.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Good luck finding a parent supportive enough to sign the permission slip for that.

Not saying they aren't out there, my parents would have been (they would drive me across states for backyard wrestling), but probably not enough to really turn into a business.

[David Troy a.k.a legendmythman]

Tell Luke Perry that. He let his kid work shows as early as 10. AND he's pretty good, too!

[Alex Shelley]

Really, it seems to be more of the attitude about pro wrestling. I'd venture to guess that it'd be very possible to safely train a kid to do the very basics.

I mean, hell, a lot of stuff I was learning in karate as a kid translate directly into pro wrestling. They taught us how to take bumps, for God's sake... They obviously didn't call them bumps, but we still spent a huge amount of time learning how to fall from a height and land flat on your back without breaking yourself.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Honestly, if any kid wanted to get into pro wrestling, I'd say go into amateur wrestling as well as theater/speech classes. That seems like a pretty solid background.

[FrankGotch]

You can if your family is in the business in some way. Other then that though I really don't see a very big market for it.

Also the biggest thing to remember is that up until recently kayfabe still ruled. If you were to ask an old school guy the best way to train your child to get into wrestling they would most likely suggest amateur wresting, boxing, and karate classes, because those would translate well to the "real sport" of pro wrestling. Since kayfabe was so protected I doubt most wrestlers would trust kids outside the family to keep industry secrets.

[Phil Parent]

You can absolutely do it. Just not everybody or everywhere.

Katsuhiko Nakajima was trained by Kensuke Sasaki as a teenager and debuted at either 16-17.

Rougeau Gym trains people as young as I believe, 14 years old. And, as it says on the site, "if you have wrestlers in your family or are a giant, we can start before that"

René Duprée. René Duprée was working almost full time at age 15 or 16.

[John Cena's Boner]

Rey Mysterio debuted in Mexico when he was 14.

Kenny Dykstra debuted when he was 15.

[Throwback]

I don't think it's a matter of them not being allowed. I think it's a matter of it being frowned apron. Also, as someone who has wrestled and taken many a bump I can say this. Kids just simply don't have the body structure yet to be able to take the bumps. They could work out until they're blue in the face and they still wouldn't have the muscle mass that is needed.

But as far as I know, Teddy Hart had a school where he was training kids and there is footage of some of the harts wrestling at VERY young ages.

[TheJaredAnderson]

Bob Holly in Kindergarten Cop, thats all I have to say.

[derickyuki]

There are a lot of wrestling schools in the UK that will accept kids as young as ten for training, but it's VERY basic stuff (bumps, bodyslams, clotheslines, and legdrops). A lot of those schools don't have insurance, and the ones that are insured won't accept anyone under 14.

EDIT: I actually wrestled a kid at a hot rod convention this past weekend who was 13. He's not a bad wrestler, he just wants to copy all of Jeff Hardy's moves.

[Angus Mcloud]

Why cant kids just enjoy wrestling. People are trying to do stuff quicker and quicker. I waited till I was 20 to start. Theres no reason for a 10 year old taking bumps and stuff.

[Evilution E5150]

because kids should still be believing in kayfabe thats why!

[boomhauer20055]

They have children that wrestle in an indie promotion near me

[johnnyk9]

D.H. Smith, The Tyson Kid, Teddy Hart, and Mattew(Teddy's brother who passed away) all started training as kids in their early teens, I wouldn't reccomend it unless your 14 or over, you should wait to devople your body and not be so immature and hyper as most kids under 12 tend to be

[Flo360]

Hmmm....As far as my limited in-ring experience goes I think it`s pretty obvious.

1. I really don`t think taking bumps is healthy for a kids body. Hell I don`t think it`s to healthy on a adult`s body.

2.Even if bumping wouldn`t be the issue. Most people tend to forget almost all of this stuff hurts. It hurts badly. So when you start training kids in any profesional matter the little ones would probably complain to their parents about whichever pain they are in. Thus sooner or later some parents are bound to ask you to ease up on the intensity of the training. And then you can just stop all together. Because no pain means the kids will be doing nothing but laps around the ring.

[H-Fist]

This topic is like asking the fine people of Rhode Island why it's legal for 16-year-olds to strip, so long as there is no physical contact between the dancer and the strip club patron. Obviously, it is physically possible to make this happen, and there is nothing complicated to stop it. It just isn't a good idea. Yes, insurance is a big issue, since most "wrestling schools" are simply [wrestler/s] + [ring] + [4 walls] + [roof]. These aren't well-kept, fancy studios. And the insurance situation is certainly suspect in many of them. Also, wrestlers are generally known by their ring names. So it isn't like mom and dad could just Google Joe Wrestler to make sure he wasn't a kiddie-diddler when he was actually a kiddie diddler in another region when he worked and was known as a fake Doink or La Parka. It's a multi-directional protection. And there is no reason for kids to take the bumps expected of pro wrestling today.

If a kid wants to be a professional wrestler, then be a damn amateur wrestler or martial artist, and learn how to weight train and eat right, and get a high school diploma, and then go to wrestling school.